An American Love Story
by FallenSirens
Summary: Max met Fang at a carnival, celebrating her graduating 4th of July weekend with her best friend. They'd hit it off and instantly fell head over heels. But when the couple starts to struggle to pay the bills, Fang decides to join the military. Of course, that's only the beginning of what some would call an American Love Story. FAX AU. T for romance, language, & minor violence.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi, so a first try at posting my writing. This was inspired by the Made in the USA by Demi Lovato music video. Review and tell me how much you liked it, what's wrong with it, what's right with it, and if I should continue. Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride or the song Made in the USA. **

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As Max walked through the carnival entry, she threw her head back and laughed. The blonde stumbled into her best friend, JJ, as she laughed and, if it was even possible, laughed harder. The two girls had just graduated high school about two months ago and they were celebrating their Fourth of July at the local carnival that was held the first week of July.

"You know, Max, even though you tell me you are one hundred percent clean when it comes to drugs, I seriously do _not_ believe you sometimes," JJ commented while eating one of the two cups of Ben & Jerry's they'd bought a while back.

"Well, look at it this way, Jennifer Joy," Max started with a crooked grin, knowing JJ despised the name her parents gave her. "Why, in the holy name of caffeine, would I need some drug that would eventually turn my brain to mush when I have my energy drinks?"

"Whose to say your 'energy drinks' won't turn your brain to mush?" JJ countered before sticking another spoonful of ice cream in her mouth.

"I am, that's who, Jennifer Joy." Max smiled when JJ let out a large puff of air out, knowing that she'd won the minor argument. Although, it _was_ questionable if it was _even_ a minor argument...

Music, screams, and laughs echoed through out the carnival's grounds. Striped tents were on either side of the pathway that JJ and Max were on and there was either an act, a game in which if you won you took home a dirty, ripped stuffed animal, or a concession stand. There was a Ferris wheel and a sky tram and Max was slowly starting to realize that JJ had latched her fingers around Max's wrist and was currently towing her toward the Ferris wheel.

Now, Max wasn't necessarily _afraid _of heights. She was just one that preferred to _extract_ herself from those situations. At least that's what Max told herself. "JJ..." Max trailed off.

"Hm?"

"Why are we heading straight towards the Ferris wheel?"

"'Cause by the time we get in line and get _through_ the line and then get to the top, the fireworks will have started and we'll get to watch the fireworks at the top of a Ferris wheel. Now, you can thank me later but _come_ _on_." JJ promptly tightened her grasp on Max's wrist and towed her straight toward the line.

_Dear Lord, __save me,_ Max thought, rolling her eyes as she stumbled along.

...

When they reached the front of the line, a teenage boy with acne and glasses asked them in a very bored and monotonous voice, "How many?"

"Two," JJ chirped, flipping her thick, dark hair over her shoulder.

"Go to cart seven," the boy said in the same voice and opened the gate that lead to the carts.

JJ clambered in first. "Hey, Max," JJ whispered loud enough for Max to hear over the roar of the carnival.

"What, JJ?" She groaned in reply, rubbing her eyes.

"Don't look now, but this mechanic is totally checking you out. He's right behind you."

Max scrunched her nose in distaste. "A mechanic?"

"A very hot one at that. Black hair and some dark eyes that are—"

"JJ!" Max exclaimed. Max's normally tanned cheekbones turned pink and she slunk lower in her seat.

"Damn, girl. You haven't even seen the guy and your blushing like Channing Tatum just winked at you. Although you'd probably faint due to the fact that you would be swooning if you'd seen him already..." JJ mused to herself.

Max shook her head and straightened in her head. "JJ, you are hopeless. Completely and utterly hopeless."

"You know you love me thiiiiiis much!" JJ smirked while spreading her arms out wide.

Max groaned. "Have I ever mentioned how much I hate valium?"

"Yup. Seven thousand times, at _least_, Max."

Max sighed. _I knew I'd never live it down_, she thought. When Max was sixteen, she'd had to have her wisdom teeth pulled out. They had given her valium and, unfortunately, she'd _'confessed'_ her _'undying love'_ to her current boyfriend, Dylan, whom had offered to go along with Max. He'd broken up with her the next day, saying how, "he wasn't ready for that kind of relationship." Max had called JJ up, bawling, and spilled the whole story. Now it was an inside joke that JJ would never let go and Max didn't understand what she had seen in Dylan.

The Ferris wheel started to creek and groan as the machine started to turn. It was spinning counter clockwise and Max realized that she would, in fact, very slowly pass this supposed mechanic. As they moved, she saw a young man, maybe 19 or 20, with dark hair that cast shadows across his face, sitting on one of the many metal bars of the Ferris wheel. His hands were on either side of him, making sure he didn't fall off the bar, and he kept an icy stare on Max with an infuriating smirk in place.

Max matched his stare and eventually looked away with a tomato red blush. JJ looked at her with an approving nod and grin, before saying, "Told you so."

When they reached the top, the two girls' cart jerked to a stop. Below them, they could hear the chanting of the people._ "Five! Four! Three! Two! One!" _

Max sat back, craning her neck, and watched the explosions of color happen. She couldn't help but smile and think, _JJ was right. It was amazing up here when the fireworks went off._


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey, so a short-ish chapter with a dash of Fax. Oh, I'm going to have so much fun writing the next chapter...**

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When the two girls hopped off the Ferris wheel, JJ whispered, "Go talk to him."

"What?! Nooo. Why?" Max spluttered out.

JJ rolled her eyes. "Because, you both thought you guys were cute and he's hot. And the mechanic thing is hard work so you know he's got work ethics!"

Max huffed. "Are you going keep bugging me until I go talk to him?"

"Yup!" JJ cheered.

"Ugh. Fine; I'll be back."

Max separated herself from JJ and started to walk back toward the Ferris wheel, hoping the man/boy was still there. And, because her luck was so bad, he was.

"Uh, hey, my name's Max and JJ, that girl over there making 'get on with it gestures', told me she wasn't gonna stop bugging me until I came over and said hi. So hi," Max blurted out, embarrassed.

A corner of the guy's mouth tipped upward as he glanced back at her best friend, who was most likely now giving this guy two thumbs up and a satisfied nod that only JJ could do without looking like a cartoon character, and back at Max herself. "Hi, yourself, Max," he said.

Max frowned slightly after a few seconds, the fact registering in her mind that she was going to definitely kill JJ for extreme awkwardness she was enduring. "Um, so, isn't this, like, the time where you tell me your name?"

Max hadn't really had experience with guys since Dylan, unless you counted the few guys that were most likely a rapist or a perv that had hit on her. The corner of his mouth tipped higher. "Fang," was his short reply.

"Huh?"

"That's my name. Fang."

Max cocked her head to the side and blew a chunk of hair out of her face. "You don't talk much. At least compared to the majority of society."

"And your to the point, blunt. At least compared to the majority of society."

"Touché, touché, Mr. Fang."

Fang rolled his eyes. The two just stood there for a while, staring at each other. "Well, Miss Max, I will see you around, but I've got some work I've gotta go do."

Max shook her head and got out a, "Yeah, I'll see you around," before he turned around on his heel, weaving through the crowd of people to go finish whatever job he had to go do.

When Max got to JJ, JJ squealed. "He soo likes you!" She exclaimed.

Max narrowed her eyes. "And I'm soo going to kill you."

JJ's eyes widened. When Max took one step forward, JJ bolted in the opposite direction. "_YOU WILL NEVER CATCH ME!_" She howled as the two sprinted through the carnival.

• • •

An hour later, Max was driving home to her house. JJ was passed out in the passenger seat and Max herself felt like passing out. JJ always seemed to stay at Max's house. It wasn't like her dad was going to actually realize his daughter was gone.

JJ's mother died in childbirth, and her father started to drink when JJ was 14. The 14 years before he drank, he had JJ's grandparents hounding on him, making sure he was a decent father. So when they died in a car crash, he had no one to keep him together. He gambled away half of what he earned working at a factory and used the other half to supply himself with his booze and tobacco. JJ worked hard in school and at her job, busting tables at a diner, and applied for several Ivy League schools this year. JJ spent most of her time at Max's house due to the cans of beer and tin cans of Kodiak chew littering the floor.

Max pulled into the driveway and cut the ignition. "Hey, JJ, we're here."

JJ blinked her eyes sleepily and yawned. "Lets go," she slurred.

The two girls stumbled up the stairs to the porch and walked inside. Soon, they were camped out in Max's room. Just as Max was about to fall asleep, JJ muttered with a yawn, "We're going to the carnival tomorrow. Ya know, to get you Fangy-boy's number."

Max smiled somewhat and closed her eyes. Within seconds, she was dreaming about flying.

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	3. Chapter 3

**Oh my gosh, I am like _so_ freaking sorry! My life has been so busy. Band, essays, science fair, drama, drama, drama, blah, blah, blah. Basically, my life has been But I'm starting to get back on track so I'll hopefully be updating a lot more!**

**Also, I read this really adorable one shot called Homecoming. It's by GagaBear18. Go check it out if you're in need of a FAX fluff! **

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Max hit the floor with a thud and let out a grunt. "What the hell, JJ?! What the frick was that for?!" Max hissed looking up at at a fully dressed and prettied-up JJ.

"It's noon, and I still have to make you look prettiful for Fangy-boy." JJ looked irritated in the light that filtering through the mini blinds, hands on her hips and her eyes narrowed.

"Prettiful? And what's with the bad mood?"

"Just because I turn eighteen August 2, doesn't mean I can't make words up. And I'm _pissed off_ because I've been trying to wake your ass up for the past _half hour_. Water, jumping on your bed, cookies. _Nu_-thing. So I resorted to flipping your mattress." JJ blew a piece of hair from her face. "Now get in the shower before I _burn_ your precious cookies."

Max groaned, mumbled something about not knowing how such a small girl could flip her mattress, and made her way to the bathroom.

Half an hour later, Max was sitting in her room, clad in her stolen fluffy bath robe from some hotel and a Monster in one hand and a cookie in the other. JJ had a frustrated frown on as she decided on whether straight hair or curly hair would work best, runway model makeup or natural makeup, and whether or not trying to get Max into a dress or skirt was worth the trouble.

Eventually, JJ decided on something because Max's started to feel her head and face be poked and prodded.

Every now and again, when Max would make a comment about not to pull so hard on her hair or not to gouge her eye out with a mascara brush, JJ would just mutter a "Shut up, stupid," or a "Whatever," in reply.

"Annnd my work is done!" JJ spun the chair around to face the mirror. She clasped her hands and placed them over her mouth. "You like?"

Max smiled and so did the model in the mirror. "Definitely. You should be a makeup artist doing special affects or something. Maybe choreography..." Max mumbled.

JJ rolled her eyes. "Just 'cause I dance like a boss and have artistic skills like fruit ninja doesn't mean it's gonna get me very far."

Max shrugged. "You should do something you love, though."

"Whatever." JJ turned to Max's closet and dug around for a few minutes. "Now, go out this stuff on and walk back out here."

Max eyed the clothes. "No pink, frilly crap, or some other hideous piece of clothing?"

"Max, you realize it's your closet and it's your clothes?"

Max shrugged and took the clothes. "You're clothes take up the majority of the space."

JJ raised an eyebrow and shook her head before she started to put Max in the direction of the bathroom connected to the room. Max followed, grumbling.

"Meet me in the car!" JJ called behind her shoulder, closing the door as she went. JJ smiled slightly as she heard Max groan.

• • •

Max sat in the car, grumbling over the outfit JJ had given her. It was a white V-neck, cotton-type, thinner strapped tank top with three buttons stacking below the bottom of the V and a pair of red Vans short shorts. That wasn't even the part that made Max grumble. It was the way JJ planned this. JJ styled her hair in loose waves, or curls, Max wasn't sure which one it quite was, so it fell to the middle of her back and did the top of her her head just so because she would also be forcing Max into a a black fedora-like hat with red and white accents. Her make up was done with thick black eyeliner, that would make her cousin, Nudge, squeal, two or three coats of charcoal black mascara and, a light red shade of lipgloss. And then there were the horrendous shoes. Black, girly, lord forbid, strappy sandals.

Just the thought made Max shudder.

JJ cast Max a glance before her eyes turned back to the road. JJ frowned. "Oh, come on! Don't get all pissy! You could've changed your clothes but you didn't!"

"You would've done something that would make nuns cry if I didn't wear this," Max retorted back.

"Yup, you're right. But you should be on the ground kissing my feet, girlie."

Max scowled. "Why would I do that?"

JJ pulled an envelope out of her purse and held it out for Max to take. She did.

Max opened the envelope and took out a letter. She began to read. "'Dear Miss Jennifer Black, we would like to congratulate you on your acceptance to Harvard University...' Holy shit, JJ! How long have you had this?!" Max screamed, hitting her head on the roof of the truck.

"I ran over to Dad's and went through the mail. Been there since May? June?"

Max screamed again. "My baby's goin' to Harvard! We must celebrate!"

"Anything I say?" JJ asked, a devious smile coming to her lips.

"Anything!"

"You let me score you a date with Fang."

Max's face stilled; her face bleached; and she turned to JJ. "You can't be serious. Why not, like, a club or bar?"

"Because, if I get a DUI when I'm still underage, you really think Harvard's gonna want me?"

"I guess not," Max grumbled. "Fine, but no funny business when you talk to him."

"No funny business," JJ copied, a mock serious face in place.

"Shut your face," Max muttered.

JJ grinned, from ear to ear, and took a detour toward the nearest diner in their small town of 500. An hour later, the two walked out with to-go cups full of Wild Cherry Pepsi and hopped in the car.

"Carnival next?" Max asked, a hint fear creeping into her voice.

"You bet ya.

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**Review, my totally awe-mazing reviewers? PS you guys are awesome. Twelve reviews for two chapters?! I could hug you in a so-not-creeper-creepy way.**


	4. Chapter 4

**What's up my totally amazing reviewers that have read 3 chapters and yet are giving me amazing reviews?**

**I could seriously hug you guys. In a so not creepy way like I said last chappie. So have humongo container of Internet brownies. Because I hardly know you guys and I'm already bragging, sayin', "Pfft, please, girl. I got me some 16 reviews for three chaptas. I beat your measly 15 for three chappies. By one but still."**

**Onto el chapter because I'm rambling. But really guys, thanks. I'm a first time poster/writer in the romance/everything-not-one-shot-or-abandoned-befor e-posted so I'm kinda treading lightly, figuring out the genre and stuff, so getting these reviews means the world. Sorry if it's short!**

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"JJ, you don't think we could somehow figure out a way to legally steal a car, do you?" Max asked as the car pulled into the same parking spot they'd pulled into the night before.

"One, no I don't think I could despite my brains. Two, how the Hell do you figure out a way to legally steal something?" JJ retorted, yanking the keys out of the ignition.

Max cursed and sighed, "Just try not freak him out too bad, okay?"

JJ scoffed. "Me? Freak someone out? When have I ever?"

"Try seventh grade year," Max muttered.

"Whatever."

The two girls jumps out of the car, and walked to the gate where a curved sign arched over the entry way. _Carnaval de L'ouest,_ it read. "Gotta love Montana originality," JJ smirked. "Over halfway across the world and they're still speakin' French."

Music could be heard blaring from the speakers now; over less than half of the population from the night before were there now, after all.

The two ran through the carnival, JJ towing a extremely reluctant Max behind her. JJ dug her heels into the ground when they reached the Ferris wheel. "I'll let ya hide if you really wanna, while I go get that date and number for you."

Max snorted and murmured something under her breath before stalking over to the stand where you had to get the ball into the bucket. JJ jumped with glee and jogged over to the silver-haired man in suspenders operating the Ferris wheel itself.

"Hello, sir? I'm looking for a guy that was fixing up the Ferris wheel last night?" She asked uncertainly, hoping that the old man wouldn't look at her like she'd grown a third eyeball and walk off. It'd happened before.

The man stared at her to continue. "Tall, dark hair and eyes? He went by Fang?"

The old man's face lit up at the mention of 'Fang.' "Ah, yes, Fang. Can I ask why you wanna see my grandson?"

_Grandson? Huh, _JJ thought. "Well, you see, him and my best friend talked last night and she forgot to get his number—" she rambled.

"Oh, her! The boy mentioned her..." The old man rubbed his chin. "Come on, girl. I'll show you to him."

JJ followed the man to a trailer and, just as they arrived, Fang jogged out his dark hair splayed across his forehead messily. He stopped and his eyes flickered between the dark-haired girl and his grandfather. His left eyebrow shot up.

"Fang this young lady says you talked to her friend..."

"Max," JJ chirped.

"Max... last night and wanted to talk to you." The old man marched into the trailer after stating why JJ was there.

_This seemed like such a better idea when I wasn't doing it_, JJ thought, panic setting in.

Fang stared at JJ, waiting for her to begin. "Um, well, so this sounded _wayy_ better in my head," she muttered, dragging a hand through her bangs. "So, like, last night, you, uh, talked to Max, and—"

"JJ dragged her sorry butt over here to ask you for your phone number for me because she has no life of her own and is obsessed with making my life a living Hell," Max finished for JJ, although it might have been worded somewhat different than how JJ would have said it, and crossed her arms, giving JJ one of her classic glares.

JJ's eyes flickered between the two and a sickly sweet smile spread across her face. "I'm gonna let you two talk..." The girl sprinted off in the other direction, a brief giggle heard in her wake.

Max turned to Fang. "You're going to have to excuse JJ. She may have an IQ of one-fifty, but the girl has no common sense at all."

Fang nodded his head and smirked. "I know the type," he said. "She'd get along great with my brother."

Max smiled and an awkward silence fell. "So... I know this is way to much to ask considering you hardly know me, but is there any chance you could give me your number? She'll never leave me alone."

Fang chuckled slightly. "Yeah, sure. Give me your hand."

Max did and he pulled a pen out of his pocket. After he scribbled the numbers down on the palm of her hand, Max muttered a, "thanks," and jogged back to the general area she saw JJ run off to.

Not to long after, she felt something jump onto her back and someone screeched into her ear, "Did you get it?!"

Max rolled her eyes and nodded. "Yeah, I got it you insane weirdo."

"You know you love me!" JJ smiled, hopping off her back.

"What are we doing next, oh-wise-one?"

Another one of JJ's sickly sweet smiles crept across her face, and Max knew what was going to come next was either going to be horrible for her or something she hated.

"We, my friend, are going to go dance!"

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